The U.S. Commerce Department announced today that economic development
assessment teams will deploy next month to conduct a two-day analysis of six
Northeast fishing communities. The teams will visit Portland, Maine, Seabrook,
N.H., New Bedford, Mass., Gloucester, Mass., Point Judith, R.I., and Montauk,
N.Y. The assessment teams will conduct meetings with local leaders to help
identify economic development challenges and opportunities facing local
industries and communities.

“The Department of Commerce is committed to supporting a
vibrant and profitable fishing industry in the United States. The assessment
teams will help communities identify and begin to address the economic
difficulties they are facing,” Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said. “We know that by rebuilding stocks, we will improve economic conditions
for fishermen and coastal communities, but we recognize that transition
is difficult. We are committed to help identify proactive solutions during these
challenging economic times.”

“Supporting fishermen and fishing communities with
economic assessment and planning assistance is a top priority for the Department
of Commerce and the administration,” said Brian McGowan, Deputy Assistant
Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “The Northeast economic
development assessment teams will play an important role in providing technical
expertise to local leaders as they develop strategies to increase economic and
job opportunities.”

The goal of the visits is to provide customized technical
assistance for fishing communities that experienced reductions in groundfish
fishing revenues in recent years. The Economic Development Administration
(EDA), in partnership with other federal agencies, will meet with local leaders
to assess current and emerging economic issues. EDA, with the assistance of the
U.S. Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA), evaluated economic and fisheries industry data, including groundfish
landing revenues and the percentage of groundfish landed at a port relative to
the state totals, in order to select ports for the interagency assessments.

“Fishing is one
of our nation’s oldest and proudest professions. While we are turning a corner
toward a more sustainable fishing industry, we recognize the hardship many
fishing families and communities are facing today,” NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane
Lubchenco said. “NOAA is eager to work with our colleagues in EDA to keep
fishing communities prosperous.”

The teams will work with local government, community, and
business leaders, regional planning organizations, and economic development
organizations to explore issues ranging from infrastructure challenges to
development and financing needs, attempting to look at the total economic
picture for each community. After the assessment, EDA will present to each
community, a report that captures economic development best practices and
customized strategies for the community’s long-term strategic planning. The
teams are modeled after the Economic Development Assessment and Evaluation Teams
deployed to Gulf Coast communities following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
The team approach proved an effective way to further local economic planning
efforts by kick-starting a collaborative process among participants from the
local community as well as outside experts.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov):
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to
lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and
preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy.
An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in
economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers,
promote American innovation and accelerate long-term sustainable economic
growth.